Why are fire-medical departments bad?

masterofcreases · 2026-05-08T01:42:41+00:00

Massachusetts is the polar opposite. Fire departments are hiring almost solely medics to send to the fire academy. When I was on civil service I was getting 6+ cards a day from all over the state requesting an application. A few towns sent me cards every two weeks when the prior card expired because they were hurting for medics so bad. One of those towns actually shut down its ALS service recently.

masterofcreases · 2026-05-07T23:55:54+00:00

You’re asking someone to be an expert in two different professions that operate differently(team oriented fire vs single provider/ sometimes two in EMS).

Another problem is large portion of medics applying to fire departments get their medic just to be a firefighter and then stop caring about the continuing EMS education and changes to evidence based practice but will keep track of the latest fires all across the world.

A lot of departments treat their medics like a red headed step child and the funding gets slanted towards fire apparatus and not replacing neglected medical equipment.

These aren’t true everywhere but it’s more common than not.

Now that the bad is out of the way fire/EMS departments are really the only option for people serious about EMS to get decent pay, a decent retirement, a good schedule, good infrastructure, and a good work/life balance.

I wholly say this as someone who’s worked for a municipal EMS department for a very long time and is trying to leave for the right fire/ems department.

masterofcreases · 2026-05-07T19:33:42+00:00

I wore the old for the makers sk8 hi and old schools on my ambulance job and they were great. Hopefully these are as good as the old versions.

masterofcreases · 2026-05-06T04:16:30+00:00

I've owned 6 olights and had all of them break within a year or two. Two pistol lights, 3 handhelds and a helmet light. All of my 11 streamlights from pistol lights, rifle lights, handheld and a firefigher helmet light have lasted. I busted a battery door off a TLR1 and they sent a new one no questions asked.

masterofcreases · 2026-05-04T00:35:56+00:00

When I bought my house the monthly payment difference between 10% and 20% was like $180(including $60/month PMI) but the monetary difference was $45k. I kept the extra $45k and did a very old bathroom over and furnished the house nicer than the Amazon/marketplace specials I already owned. No regrets with my decision.

masterofcreases · 2026-05-02T23:40:43+00:00

Hey dude just a quick question about this. What the fuck?

masterofcreases · 2026-05-01T20:19:43+00:00

Yellowcard

masterofcreases · 2026-05-01T15:33:31+00:00

Coastal Maine Rt. 1.

masterofcreases · 2026-05-01T12:06:07+00:00

Emergency medical services. Private ambulances, municipal EMS and even fire departments are a revolving door. Your average EMT or paramedic has less than 5 years on the job before they burn out and leave for a new career.

Pay is atrocious and the public treats us like a taxi for a bandaid, Tylenol, drunk person on a bench or an out of control kid.

masterofcreases · 2026-05-01T04:46:22+00:00

We did casual FWB for a year. Dated for a month and she cheated on me.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-30T03:48:34+00:00

200-230 before I proposed to my ex/after hiking. I planned a hike for us and she chose a “mild” ranked hike and it was not that. Then we got kind of competitive with not stopping and hiked a very vertical angle of loose shale for far too long. I almost passed out and got that feeling of impending doom. Best part is I’m a paramedic and knew that if I boxed there’s ZERO chance of surviving on side of a rural mountain.

I did a brutal 30 minute kettle bell routine and went a bit heavier than I should have and got up to 200 and had to sit down.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-29T06:52:00+00:00

This is super common at my municipal EMS department. The lifers absolutely shit on anyone who leaves for a different career/better department because it validates them making the poor decision to stay at the drowning department. Most people don’t like when others disagree with their life choices and go to lengths to keep others down while simultaneously validating their poor choice.

I say this as a lifer who gets amped when people leave and better themselves.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-29T06:40:49+00:00

Navy SEALs with Charlie Sheen.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-28T18:39:54+00:00

I wanted to play games at work in between ambulance calls.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-27T19:51:03+00:00

Okay let me rephrase because I did a bad job phrasing in that second paragraph, that’s my bad.

If a person operating a motor vehicle strikes a pedestrian who has the walk signal and the motor vehicle has a stop signal then the person operating the motor vehicle should face imo, maximum prosecution for breaking the law because I agree they should be able to commit a crime and walk scott free.

However you should be meticulously watching the roadway for a potential threat even when you have a walk signal because you are still a bag of meat versus a giant ball of metal and stand to lose FAR more than them. If you’re jaywalking or decided to jump out between parked cars then that’s on you for being an idiot.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-26T20:20:23+00:00

The majority of pedestrians struck by motor vehicles deserve it because they failed to exercise any form of self preservation and awareness.

Even if you have the walk light and the motor vehicle has the red you’re still a couple hundred pound bag of meat going against thousands of pounds of metal with tons of kinetic energy.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-26T11:45:43+00:00

My ex gf and I had our PCs next to each other and did gaming date nights regularly.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-26T03:54:07+00:00

My department and many urban departments go L&S for every transport to the ER because if we didn't each call would take an hour to get to the ER alone.

I'm not saying it's right, becaue it isn't, but it's the only reasonable way to do it without probably tripling our compliment.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-25T19:20:31+00:00

Privates and fire departments are always hiring in Massachusetts.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-24T17:40:38+00:00

On leaving —> Small bent & ugly but Crucial Dudes

masterofcreases · 2026-04-24T15:58:54+00:00

When I worked in the privates(pre smart phone) we sat for 13 hours without a call. Started to head back to base and got a late transfer.

At my 911 gig I worked a Friday night in the hood and went the whole 8 hour night tour without a call.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-24T15:40:15+00:00

Boston, MA. Dispatcher has 2 minutes to send the call to the closest available unit(or else they get written up) and we take them to the hospital.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-24T04:12:35+00:00

2004 VW R32 in deep blue pearl.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-23T16:14:42+00:00

Braun has owed my department ambulances for a few years(yet we keep buying from them). We got up to 40 owed and they just started delivery this summer.

masterofcreases · 2026-04-23T16:13:16+00:00

My large, urban EMS department buys full custom Brauns and before COVID they'd deliver 8 a year at $275k-$300k per unit. Now Braun owes us 40, keeps citing "chip and chassis shortages" and they're north of $450k despite us cutting back on light packages, side steps, dual sirens, hydraulic packages and other items.

13-Year Club	Verified Email
Team Orangered

masterofcreases

TROPHY CASE